Mat Brewster

Murder in the First: The Complete First Season DVD Review: Boring in the Second

Steven Bochco seems to have forgotten what decade it is and made a TV show from the late ’80s.

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The Larry Sanders Show: The Complete Series Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us Larry Sanders, Cybermen, women in prison, midwives, Charlie Chaplin, Bette Midler playing Janis Joplin, and more.

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Broadchurch: The Complete Second Season DVD Review: Weak Story, Emotionally Wrecking

Season Two is more confined by its genres, but delivers the goods with its characters.

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Broadchurch: The Complete Second Season Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us the wonderful David Tennant, cyber hackers, Alzheimer’s dramas, cartoon burgers, lesbian vampires, and more.

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Ghost Story: Turn of the Screw DVD Review: Should Have Turned It Off

A completely forgettable adaptation of a novel I’ll never read.

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Inherent Vice Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us a P.T. Anderson film that isn’t as popular as I expected, a talking Bear that is, plus Mark Wahlberg, King Henry VII, and some bloody good bloody TV.

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Book Review: Compound Cinematics: Akira Kurosawa and I by Shinobu Hashimoto

The screenwriter for some of Kurosawa’s best films discusses their collaboration and more.

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Fortitude Is the Pick of the Week

This week’s new releases include a murder in the arctic, a sad Jennifer Aniston, Iranian vampires, Liam Neeson getting taken (again), and some arty foreign flicks.

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He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not DVD Review: A Movie So Nice You’ll Watch It Twice

A fun take on both the romantic comedy and femme fatale genres and so cleverly constructed that I never minded its flaws.

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The Immigrant DVD Review: Finding Grace in the Worst of Times

If this is the American dream, why would anyone come here?

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Maps to the Stars Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us new films by David Croneberg, Jean-Luc Goddard, and Tim Burton plus old films by Carol Reed and Preston Sturges and much more.

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A Most Violent Year Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us the Netflix rabbit hole, the Fighters of Foo, The Immigrant, and some TV boxed sets.

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The Imitation Game is the Pick of the Week

It’s a big week for interesting new releases including an Alan Turing biopic, a big outer-space epic, Reese Witherspoon getting real, Hugh Grant being Hugh Grant and much more.

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Into the Woods Blu-ray Review: Bringing out My Inner Theater Geek

Making me believe in big, bold musicals once again.

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Into the Woods is the Pick of the Week

This week brings a big Hollywood musical, a bigger battle for Middle Earth, a collection of documentaries, neatly packaged fury, and Angelina Jolie as a director.

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The Soft Skin is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us early Truffaut, new Chris Rock, classic film noir, a silly sequel, and more.

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The Sound of Music (50th Anniversary Edition) Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us a Bible story, a silly remake, a sillier b-movie, and hills coming alive.

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Foxcatcher Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us a very serious Steve Carell, a not so humble Al Pacino, an old Robin Hood, and a gruff sheriff.

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Lillies DVD Review: A Bittersweet Post-war Drama

With but one season in existence, Lillies makes a nice snack between larger television meals.

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Whiplash movie poster on display of the website

Whiplash Is the Pick of the Week

This week features two Oscar winners, two Criterions, and a quaint historical drama.

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Serangoon Road DVD Review: It Might Be HBO but It Plays Like Broadcast TV

HBO Asia’s first foray into original programming brings forth an entertaining, but ultimately disappointing crime drama.

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Crime Scene Cleaner DVD Review: A Job Ripe with Comedy

Seriously, Hollywood, take a cue from the Germans and make more shows like this.

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Birdman Is the Pick of the Week

This week has us talking about has-been super-heroes, Japanese folk-tales, dumb comedies, and life itself.

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Nicolas Le Floch Volume Two DVD Review: Sword Fights and Laughter

A silly French historical crime drama delivers good mysteries and some hearty laughs.

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Marie’s Mind for Murder: Set One DVD Review: The German Mr. Monk

For detective genre fans, Marie’s Mind for Murder is a nice bit of diversionary television.

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The Story of Adele H DVD Review: Of Love and Madness

The tragic true story of Victor Hugo’s daughter.

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Nightcrawler Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us social commentaries, based-on true stories, foreign horror, and a drugged-up nurse.

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International Settlement DVD Review: A Forgotten, Forgettable Film That Has Its Pleasures

A minor and forgotten B-picture winds up being surprisingly entertaining.

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Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Series 13 DVD Review: The Very End of Poirot

With these five movies David Suchet has now played the detective in every Poirot story Agatha Christie ever wrote.

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John Wick Is the Pick of the Week

After missing a week I’m back talking about Keanu Reeves, the search for happiness, Australian nurses and more.

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ANZAC Girls DVD Review: Ladies at War and in Love

The exciting true story of Australian nurses serving in WWI.

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Above Suspicion: Complete Collection DVD Review: It’s No Prime Suspect, but It Ain’t Half Bad

It’s impossible not to compare it to La Plante’s other series, but it is well worth watching.

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The Drop (2014) Is the Pick of the Week

Rest in peace, James Gandolfini.

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Gone Girl Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us David Fincher’s latest thriller, an empires final boardwalk, a Hendrix biopic, a space documentary and The Facts of Life.

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Boyhood Is the Pick of the Week

After a week off I’m looking for movies about boys, girls, a former wizard growing horns, and Nick Cage in his most inexplicable role ever.

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The Night Porter Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Nazi Love Story

It’s a thin line between exploitation and art.

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Pride (2014) Is the Pick of the Week

It’s a slow week and I’m using that as an excuse to say very little.

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Intruders (2014) DVD Review: Moody Paranormal Thriller Looks Good but Lacks Depth

An interesting premise that’s well executed but not entirely thought through.

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Arrested Development: Season 4 Is the Pick of the Week

Another banner week of releases as Christmas comes near.

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Book Review: Popeye: Classic Newspaper Comics, Volume Two 1989-1998: A Surprisingly Modern and Adult Take On The Classic Character

If you think Popeye is some silly kids comic from a bygone era, think again.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us several Criterions; more Woody Allens; three TV collections; a talking, space-traveling raccoon; and so much more.

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The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears Blu-ray Review: Bizarre, Incomprehensible, and Mesmerizing

A hallucinatory fever dream of a film that is surprising, strange and wonderful.

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Austin City Limits Celebrates 40 Years Is the Pick of the Week

This week brings us an excellent concert series, some damn, dirty apes, short journeys, vampires, and more.

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Drunk History: Seasons 1 & 2 Is the Pick of the Week

I’m taking a chance that an odd comedy will actually tickle my funny bone.

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The Rolling Stones: From the Vault – L.A. Forum (Live in 1975) DVD Review: It’s Only a Concert Video, but I Like It

The band shows why they remain the very definition of rock and roll.

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Cinema Sentries

It Happened One Night Is the Pick of the Week

The Christmas season keeps bringing all sorts of great stuff.

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Borgen: The Complete Series DVD Review: Danish Politics Fit for Americans

Borgen makes the incomprehensible Danish political system not only understandable but lots of fun to watch.

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Saturday at Wizard World Tulsa 2014: My First Con Experience

My first ever Con found me checking out cosplayers and listening to James Marsters and William Shatner.

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Lots of TV Series Sets Are the Picks of the Week

Halloween is over so its time for the Christmas season and with it lots of big TV collections.

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Book Review: Puck: What Fools These Mortals Be!: Political Cartooning at its Finest

A collection of historic, important, and just a little bit esoteric political cartoons from a bygone era.

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